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Saturday, 23 May 2015

[Review] Lim Kim - Simple Mind

Lim Kim is not your average K-pop star and “Simple Mind” proves the fact. The album features a blend of synth-pop and ballads, creating an interesting combination. The question is whether or not it works.

"Simple Mind" Track-List

Awoo (아우)

Love Game (알면 다쳐)

Breeze (바람아)

You Say It First (먼저 말해)

No More (노 모어)

Upgrader(업그레이더)

Paper Birds(종이새)

“Awoo” & “Love Game” are the two lead tracks on the album, both of which are upbeat and catchy. That said, these two songs create a false impression that the album will be an upbeat one. However, that is not the case.

“Awoo” draws parallels to how a cat is mischievous yet lovable, wanting the attention of their owner. Like I previously mentioned, it’s very catchy and upbeat but with a chill tone, too.

In a similar tone of “Awoo”, the 2nd track “Love Game” is also very catchy and hooks listeners from the start. The track has a very unique sound and beat, reminiscent of a retro vibe with contemporary sounds mixed in, which is uncommon within the K-pop scene. This song is definitely a favorite of mine due to its hook. Lim Kim’s voice fits perfectly to this style of music, which makes it a pleasurable song.

“Breeze featuring Beenzino” is not the worst track out there, but I have a hard time listening to tracks featuring a rapper because it’s not my taste preference. Out of the South Korean rappers, Beenzino was a good addition, but if this tracks pops up in my playlist, chances are that I will skip it.

Lastly we have a track which greatly contrasts the rest of the album. “Paper Birds” is an acoustic song, which has no special effects, allowing Lim Kim’s voice to shine. Despite this change of pace, I feel like the production quality has decreased, making the song feel misplaced. What I don’t understand is that we have an album focused on creating a special synth-pop/electronic sound and the producers decided to throw in an acoustic track?

Of course, it could have been experimental to see how fans would react but it doesn’t fit and it would have made the album more polished to remove it altogether.

Top Tracks: Awoo, Love Game, No More & You Say It FirstRating: 3.5/5

Disclaimer: This review reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of OhayoSeoul.